Olive Oatiman's Return A
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OLIVE OATIMAN'S RETURN A. L. Kroeber In 1851 a pioneer family named Oatman ws traveling alone westward through southern Arizona when' it was attacked by "tApecho," actually Yuman Yavapai, sometimes called Mohave-Apache or Yuma- Apache. The parents were killed, two girls taken captive and be- fore long sold to Mohave visitors. On-e of tho sistors died, but the other, Olive, stayed *ith the Mohave, in Mohave valley, about four years, when the U. S. Government, through its army post at Ft. Yuma, claimed her and-she was restored. A somewhat sensational book was published which would have had more permanent value if it had sought to record more of Olive's concrete remembrances in- stead of vague phrases meant to thrill.(l) Ali'iiman, as they called her, was well remembered by the Mo- have in 1903, and they usually were first to mention her, expect- ing that this white captive would be what Americans were likely to find of most interest in Mohave history. Various old native men and women who had known Olive Oatman in their youth were pointed out to me, but most of them were disinclined to rominisce about her on the gound that it might be held against them as in- criminating. Finally TokwaQa, `tMusk Melon," volunteered to tell what he knew about the episode, and on June 22 did so. A young man interpreted, whom I noted only as Jim, and who was quito likely some kind of kinsman. We sat down under a ramada by TokwaQa's house, which stood a little north of the "Pump Houso" (Neodles City water works), near the Colorado River. The following day Tokwaga also told me a myth on the origin of war, which however did not progross far beyond the creation durine the day I had available for recording its but is being recorded for publication. TokweQa is also mentioned several times in a long reminiscence which I secured later in 1903, in San Francisco, from Jo Nelson, about fights of the Mohave with the whites and with other Indians. Tokwaga was reckoned brave but was evidently not bellicose or intransigent. This is TokwaQa's account: THE NARRATIVE I was with the Yuma, visiting, when I heard news carried from the Mohave here to Yuma, that the Mohavo had gone to bring two white girls. Then came another roport: "Now they have brought them." So I heard it; and I thought: "Well, I will return; that is where I live." So I traveled north. -Whein I got to Ahwe-ny-eva near Parker, I was told where the girls were .being kept. My own 1 home then was on the east side, opposite and above hore whore wO aro sitting; but tho main river then ran much to the east, whore the cottonwoods are now; there was much more farmland on the California side then. It was on this side that the girls were living, close by here, only two or three hundred yards north!(2) At that time it was far from the (main) river; but later the site where they lived was washed away by it. So that is where they were kept. Now I had got back to my home, and sometimes I would oross over and look at the girls as they lived with the Mohave here and got on well with them. The chie(3) said:"Let everyone help raise them' If they are sick, tend themn Treat them wellP' So I saw an,d kew they were happy living here, for three, four, fiive years, perhaps more--1 did not keep track of the time. Only once I was told that one of the sisters had died, nothing more.(4) Then I heard that the army officers at Ft. Yuma were talking about the captive girl. The head officer's name was Kanmpinter (Carpenter).(5) Now some Yum-a whom this officer had sent came, we heard, to where the railroad bridge l now, at the foot of the valley. And by sundown they had come up as far as some miles below my home on the other side, and slept there. The next day, the Yuma swam the river to this (California) side, I heard, so I crossed over too, and next morning went to the settlement where the girl was. There some of,the Yuma (wom I knew) met me and said: "Is that you?" 'Yes," I told them, and they invited me: "CQne and eat with us," for they had been given food by the Mohave there. We ate and they told me they hid been s3rit up by the rLrV officers. Then they went to talk with the' Moha've head man whQ had charge of the girl. The leaders of the Yuma talked with him that night and tried to perguade him to give her up.lHe an- swered: '1Vel; I would like to raise this girl. We traveled far to buy her. We like her. And we want to make tricndg (through her). V}hen those *ho come by us know ho'w we treat her, they will treat us well too. If the officers want to see her, they had better come here and talk with me, and I will let them have her." But all the women there were sorry. " like you much," they said to Olive. They talked another night there. Then the Yuma said: "We might as well retum; we cannot get her." I went with them. Four or five miles below here we swam aoross and went to a settlement where tbere was ahead man and a wole com- pany had gathered. "What luck did you .havet he asked the' Yuma. "We talked about it, but he would not give her up."- "What did you tell him?" . "W7e tsId him whaPt the army oc. ficers said, nothing more." The chief advised them: "I 2 would say to him, 'I will give you something for her,' beoause they did pay for her and they do like her.? And if you pay, you will surely get her." Then I heard the Yuma say among themselvess "Let us give him a horse." So the next morning they went baok up, to the same place, and I with them. The Yuma.entered the house, and many Mohave too. But the Yuma did not speak (of their, errand) and no one else did. I stayed there all night, because I wanted to hear what would be said, but no one said a word (about the matter). In the morning I heard the Yuma speak. "A man called Car- penter sent us. You did not agree (to what he wants), but we have returned, because he will not let up. He will go on bother- ing you about it. The reason you did not agree is that we were not offering you anything; we know that. WJell, we have a white horse downriver (at Yuma); we will give you that." Now there was another head man present, an old man, above everybody. So the Yuma asked hims "What do you say?" And he answereds "I am satisfied. That is why we kept her; we raised her so that if anyone wants her back, they can have her. If Carpenter wants me to give her to him, I will do so. et's take her down and go to get the horse." Next day we all started, going the same trail; we crossed the river, and went on down to where some houses were standing empty, still north of where the bridge is now. There we stopped to eat. At that time the Mohave were starving and had only wild seeds to live on; but they had given us a little of those to take along, and so we made mush there and ate. Then the girl said to met "You will always follow me?" "Yes*" "I do not know the Yuma language, I only know Mohave. When we get there to the officers, you speak in my place; then you will go home again." I told her: "'Yes, I will go with you. If you.get sick, I will take care of you; if your feet are sore, I will carry you," Then, that same day, we started again, and came where the bridge is now. Many Mohave were there to see the girl and the Yuma, and gave us a little food to carry on the way. One of them put some in my hand, and I tied it in a rag for the girl. We went on down, still on the Arizona side (over the ridge) into Chemehuevi Valley, at the lower end of whioh we crossed the river. A few miles farther were some empty Chemehuevi houses. There we slept.(6) Next morning we started along the trail but wanted to go the straightest way, so crossed over the high Kwaskilye range.(7) The Yuma were fast travelers and,got far ahead. The girl was not so good, and we led (supported) her. At Parker we crossed back to the Arizona side. The Yuma arrived there while the sun was 3 still up, the girl and-l after it.-began to be dark. We slept with- out suppur.(0)'i In the morning we cooked a few beans and.started south. 'We were worn out and traveled slowly till midafternoon when we ap- proached.a Mohave settlement. They saw us coming, recognized us, and began to cook. So we got.a little to eat and stayed there the night.